Ex-Eagles pay tributes to Ebiede

Tributes have continued to pour in from ex-teammates of former Super Eagles defender, Emmanuel Ebiede, who died in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Friday.

Saturday PUNCH had reported that Ebiede, 47, died of Hepatomegaly (enlargement of the liver) while recieving treatment at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital.

Ebiede was survived by a wife and three kids – two in Nigeria and one in Holland.

The midfielder was a member of the Flying Eagles squad at the African Youth Championship on home soil in 1995.

Former Super Eagles assistant coach and a bossom friend to the late Ebiede said, “He passed on this evening (Friday). It’s so sad, I’m devastated, been trying to keep myself together.”

Former Eagles goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph, expressed his unhappiness over the demise of Ebiede despite receiving medical attention from the Rivers State government.

“Its so sad that he is no more despite help coming his way. May his gentle soul rest in peace,” Dosu told Saturday PUNCH.

Sammy Wejinya, media aide to Rivers sports commissioner also said, “I learnt about Ebiede’s death today. It’s so sad.”

Ebiede had two caps for the Super Eagles, making his debut under Serbian Bora Milutinovic in the 1-0 win over Iran in a pre-1998 World Cup friendly January 28, 1998.

At club level, Ebiede joined Belgian First Division side SC Eendracht Aalst from boyhood club Sharks of Port Harcourt in 1995.

In 1997 he moved to SC Heerenveen in the Dutch Eredivisie, before further spells in the United Arab Emirates (1999-2004) and Israel (2006-2008). He then returned home to feature for Bayelsa United and Sharks. He retired in 2011.